We just completed our seventh full survey for ungulates in the Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem. Each survey takes us about a month to complete. This survey is timed to coincide with the end of the dry season. Migratory animals like wildebeests and zebras travel more than a hundred kilometers from their wet-season ranges to the north and east of the park, seeking water from the Tarangire River during the dry season. During the parched months of July, August, September, and October, the river system sustains tens of thousands of wildebeests, zebras, elands, oryx, hartebeests, buffalos, and gazelles. These hoofed mammals in turn support predators and scavengers such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, and vultures.